William Sandys Wright Vaux FRS (28 February 1818 – 21 June 1885), was a celebrated English

antiquary An antiquarian or antiquary () is an fan (person), aficionado or student of antiquities or things of the past. More specifically, the term is used for those who study history with particular attention to ancient artifact (archaeology), artifac ...

and numismatist of the 19th century.

Biography

Vaux was born in 1818 in Oxford. He was the only son of William Vaux (d. 1844), prebendary of Winchester Cathedral and vicar of Wanborough, Wiltshire. He was educated at Westminster School from 1831 to 1836, and matriculated from

Balliol College, Oxford Balliol College () is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. One of Oxford's oldest colleges, it was founded around 1263 by John I de Balliol, a landowner from Barnard Castle in County Durham, who provided the f ...

, on 18 March 1836, graduating BA 1840 and M.A. 1842. In 1841 he entered the department of antiquities of the British Museum, and in January 1861 became the keeper of the department of coins and medals, a post which, owing to ill-health, he resigned in October 1870. He was connected with the early development of the

Oxford Movement The Oxford Movement was a movement of high church members of the Church of England which began in the 1830s and eventually developed into Anglo-Catholicism. The movement, whose original devotees were mostly associated with the University of O ...

in London, and his rooms were a frequent place of meeting for the sub-committees connected with the London Church Union and the foreign chaplaincies. From 1871 to 1876 he was engaged in cataloguing the coins in the

Bodleian Library The Bodleian Library () is the main research library of the University of Oxford, and is one of the oldest libraries in Europe. It derives its name from its founder, Sir Thomas Bodley. With over 13 million printed items, it is the second- ...

. From 1846 he was a member of the Numismatic Society, and — according to the

Dictionary of National Biography The ''Dictionary of National Biography'' (''DNB'') is a standard work of reference on notable figures from British history, published since 1885. The updated ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (''ODNB'') was published on 23 September ...

— to his friendly care much of the success of that body is due. In 1852 he became one of the secretaries, and for some time assisted John Yonge Akerman in editing the first series of the ''Numismatic Chronicle'', in which he himself wrote twenty-five papers. In 1855 he was elected president, and remained in office until 1874. For many years the society met in his rooms in Gate Street, Lincoln's Inn Fields. On 4 June 1868 he became a fellow of the Royal Society. From November 1875 to his death he was the secretary of the Royal Asiatic Society, and for many years secretary to the

Royal Society of Literature The Royal Society of Literature (RSL) is a learned society founded in 1820, by George IV of the United Kingdom, King George IV, to "reward literary merit and excite literary talent". A charity that represents the voice of literature in the UK, th ...

. Vaux became a member of the Canterbury Association on 5 April 1850. He died at 102 Cheyne Walk, Chelsea, London, on 21 June 1885, having married on 11 July 1861 Louisa, eldest daughter of Francis Rivington of

Harley Street Harley Street is a street in Marylebone, Central London, which has, since the 19th century housed a large number of private specialists in medicine and surgery. It was named after Edward Harley, 2nd Earl of Oxford and Earl Mortimer.< ...

, London.

Works

Vaux's knowledge was large and varied, more especially in all that related to oriental antiquities. His ''Nineveh and Persepolis: an Historical Sketch of Ancient Assyria and Persia, with an Account of the recent Researches in those Countries'' (1850; 4th ed. 1855), did much to popularise the discoveries of Layard and other travellers. He also wrote: # ''Handbook to the Antiquities in the British Museum: a Description of the Remains of Greek, Assyrian, Egyptian, and Etruscan Art,'' 1851. # ''Ancient History from the Monuments; Persia from the earliest Period to the Arab Conquest,'' 1875: new edition by Prof. A. H. Sayce, 1893. # ''Ancient History from the Monuments: Greek Cities and Islands of Asia Minor,'' 1877. In 1854 he edited ''

The World Encompassed by Sir Francis Drake ''The World Encompassed by Sir Francis Drake'' is the earliest detailed account of Francis Drake's circumnavigation. It was compiled by Drake's nephew, also named Francis Drake, based on his uncle's journal, the notes of Francis Fletcher, and ...

'' for the Hakluyt Society''.''

References

Notes

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Vaux, William Sandys Wright 1818 births 1885 deaths English antiquarians British numismatists Fellows of the Royal Society Presidents of the Royal Numismatic Society Employees of the British Museum People educated at Westminster School, London Alumni of Balliol College, Oxford Members of the Canterbury Association